VRBO is part of the HomeAway family, the world leader in vacation rentals with over 1 million listings. We offer the largest selection of properties for any travel occasion and every budget. We’re committed to helping families and friends find a perfect vacation rental to create unforgettable travel experiences together.

Overview

Westside House Rental Photos and Description

Whitewater views of boats, whales, dolphins and surfers just out the living room windows! Situated on a 12,000 sq. foot lot, with extra parking for 4 cars, this is an ideal family vacation place. Walk or bike to westside cafes and restaurants, the Lighthouse, Natural Bridges, downtown and the wharf. Art openings in the neighborhood, and a farmer's market each Saturday just .5 miles away. Bakeries and excellent breweries, wineries a 10 minute bike ride away. Newly refurbished kitchen with high-end appliances, and breakfast nook. Eco-friendly and allergy free. Beds of organic material and ultra-comfy. New patio dining right on the seaside front garden, for sunrise and sunset, as our geography offers that rare opportunity to enjoy both: over the Pacific! Bikes, surfboards and a kayak with possible 2014 electric car available. Original art by the owner. Herb and rose gardens. Moderne furniture and design. Fire pit and BBQ facing the ocean on the patio.

About Barbara Benish

A California native, I have been an "ex-pat" in since the early 1990's. Our new Santa Cruz home, where we are slowly remodeling to 1950's splendor, is a dream come true for us. We feel lucky to share it with others, who hopefully will enjoy it as much as we do. The sea heals all!

Barbara Benish purchased this house in 2014

Why Barbara Benish chose Santa Cruz

I grew up in southern California, and, after being abroad for a quarter of a century, am delighted to come back to the Pacific. With many friends in the area, as well as the rich academic life that the University of California offers, this is an eclectic, international community with much to offer. Here on WestCliff, which is sort of the hub of the town, everyone walks the cliffs on a promenade, indigenous to most cultures around the world. And similarly, one hears many languages spoken on these walks, not least of which is the sealife: otters, sea lions, pelicans, dolphins, and seals. It is not unusual to join the viewers at sunset to quietly pass the end of the day in the rosy glow over the ocean, and then share the unexpected applause of dozens of strangers appreciating mother natures's exit to night.

Next to the property, which is on a corner, is a small community park. So our privacy is delightful, despite the community feeling of the walking path in front of us along the shore. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves, watching the sunset amongst the Monterrey pines lining the shore, or greeting the sun over the Monterey Bay- a Marine Sanctuary- is a delight beyond words. This is a healing place, and indeed, a sanctuary of the soul. In back is a separate but attached guest cottage (2 bedroom, 2 story) that is also available for rent for larger gatherings.

What makes this house unique

This home was owned by the same family since it was built in 1953, before I bought it. It has a wonderful energy, and we hope to restore it to a gorgeous showcase of modernism. The living room is completely built of local redwood, which visitors can experience in the local forests just 5 minutes away. The take-home experience though, is seeing whales breach out front of the house. Or a pod of dolphins gliding by- which happens every week. We sort of pinch ourselves each day to see if this is real!

Peace of mind when checking out through VRBO

We'll back you with our Book with Confidence Guarantee™

You'll get comprehensive payment protection when checking out on our website

Reviews

Very Good!4/5 -

(7 traveler reviews)

Magnificent Location

My three sisters and I recently spent three days at this property. Wonderful weather, shopping in downtown Santa Cruz and Capitola, and a clean, roomy house. We enjoyed sitting on the front patio watching waves breaking on the cliffs, walkers, runners, skaters, bicyclers,and dogs go by while drinking champagne. Overall a fun relaxing weekend.

Submitted: Oct 8, 2016

Stayed: Sep 2016

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: Thanks, Aileen! We are so happy you enjoyed your stay. Hope to see you and your family again some time. All best, Barbara

Breathtaking view!

Excellent location and very spacious! We were there for the Triathlon that my son participated in and watched from the beautiful, newly constructed patio which was my favorite part of the house as it faced the ocean. We were able to walk to the wharf and avoid looking for parking. Some suggestions would be to install window screens in the bedrooms so we could open the windows and enjoy the sea breeze, and to upgrade the shower heads. Other than that, this house offered a lot of character you don't find these days. Thank you Barbara for being a wonderful host!

Submitted: Sep 29, 2016

Stayed: Sep 2016

Source: HomeAway

Owner's Response: Dear Grace,
it was great to have you and your family here. Thank you for finding us! Yes, the small improvements you mentioned will all be addressed in our upcoming remodel. You won't recognize the place next year! Hope to see you again,
Best wishes and aloha,
Barbara

Great location in Santa Cruz!

Barbara was a wonderful host to me and my 5 friends racing 70.3 Santa Cruz! There was plenty of room in the house for privacy and the house is right on the race course (about 1.5 miles away from transition). There is a wonderful sand walking/running path behind the house and a wide paved walking/running path in front of the house along the ocean. Downtown Santa Cruz and the boardwalk is just a short 1-2 mile bike ride, walk or drive. Barbara and her daughters were staying in another house behind the rental for our stay, but we still had complete privacy. Our group also really liked that she is very Eco conscious. Overall, really great trip and a bonus to have a fire pit to sit and listen to the waves while relaxing after the race! Thanks so much, Barbara, for making sure our stay was so wonderful!

Submitted: Sep 16, 2016

Stayed: Sep 2016

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: Thank you, Lura. Your group was such an inspiration! It was really fun to know you were riding right by the house on your triathalon. And I, too, appreciate your group's attention to our environmental requests regarding waste, etc. We hope to have you back again next year! The place was spotless when you left: thanks.

Beautiful home with a stunning view!!

Our stay was absolutely wonderful! The home is beautiful and much larger than it looks in pictures. The host were very accommodating, responding quickly to a few questions I had while we occupied the house. They even had beautiful bouquets placed around the house prior to our arrival. And the view! You can't beat it! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice and relaxing weekend in Santa Cruz!

Submitted: Aug 29, 2016

Stayed: Aug 2016

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: So glad your group could relax and have some fun, Sarah! Come visit us again in beautiful Santa Cruz....

Beautiful house in an unbeatable location

Eight of us stayed at the house for a weekend and we had an amazing time. The house was in great shape and the pictures are an accurate representation of the style and condition of the house. The front patio alone is worth the visit. The one thing I would say is that there are technically 2 proper bedrooms along with the den with the futon pull-out, since one of the bedrooms is a converted dinning room with no door. However I stayed in that room and didn't mind it at all. Barbara was great and answered all my questions via the VRBO messaging and just going over to her house which is next door. Overall, I thought the house was great for its character, location, price and customer-service by Barbara. I deducted a star because I wouldn't advertise the converted dinning room without a door as a bedroom and the kitchen had a coffeemaker on the counter but no coffee pot so we had to have someone go out for coffee for the group on Saturday and Sunday morning (I will note, however, theres a small coffee-press that would work for 2-people).

Submitted: Aug 16, 2016

Stayed: Aug 2016

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: Thanks for constructive notes, Erica. Really glad you could enjoy the patio- it is heavenly. The extra futon was set up into a bedroom, from the office/den area because some people like to have that extra room. The 3rd bedroom that looks onto the LR and ocean views will be converted to a full bed w/bath (and jacuzzi on the deck!) in the next months. So next year, you'll be in for a treat!

NOT as advertised

The property fell far short of meeting our expectations based on the ad in VRBO.

The problems are as follows:

There is an attached unit on the property--perhaps a converted garage-- that was initially occupied by other vacationers and then the homeowner! To make matters worse we were expected to share the back yard as the only locking door was located inside the fence! We were not informed that we were renting a shared space.

Advertised as a 3 bedroom unit that sleeps 8, this property only has two legal bedrooms (with closets) and a converted dining room.

Advertised to have linens in the bathrooms, there wasn't. There were some musty smelling towels in a hall closet.

Advertised to have new beds, we expected something more. The mattresses/box springs were on the floor and the ones in the master were quite old and creaky.

Advertised to have a remodeled kitchen, the only things updated were the cooktop, the dishwasher and the floor. The painted tile countertop was chipped and peeling and we were afraid that paint chips would get into our food. Many of the pans, bowls, tableware was not clean. There wasn't an icemaker. The washing machine did not have a handle to open it--you needed to use a screwdriver.

Expected to have basics, we had to go to the store to buy hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry soap and dish soap before we could do anything else.

Expected to be clean, there was mold in the bathroom and inside the washing machine. The whole place smelled musty.

There were ants in the bathroom and in the living room. This made it impossible to let the baby crawl around--so someone had to hold her at all times.

One of the chairs out front of the house was broken and my son-in-law fell through it before we realized it.

To sum, the only thing that was as advertised and met our expectations was the ocean view.

Submitted: Sep 9, 2015

Stayed: Aug 2015

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: I will try to address each of the issues the guests have mentioned in this review, all of which are false. She also failed to mention that she was refunded 2 nights after leaving abruptly and that this was her first time renting a vacation property. Our reviews in the back cottage over the past year attest to my high standards for keeping the place clean and enjoyable for vacation getaways. And it is not a "converted garage" as she states, but a lovely two story unit, completely separate from the main house. It is shown on all photos, but after this experience I will certainly make it clearer in the description. There are locks on the front and back doors. The front door to the ocean side, which is private to the main house, was perhaps not sufficient for the guest as they had an extra dog on the property that they did not want us to know about. We had all new towels and linens, purchased at the beginning of summer, with fresh soap in all 3 bathrooms. Our beds are all very good quality, organic bamboo; and we prefer them low to the ground. This is clearly shown in all photos. I have a professional team of cleaning women come in each week; they would not allow dirty pots and pans, as this guest states. Ants are the bane of every home owner in summer and the guest's demands to 'call an exterminator' seemed a bit excessive. Especially given that there was a baby in the house! Our full-time housekeeper, who is on call 24/7, has all the supplies needed for the house right in the garage, so if the dish soap was low, it was just a call away. Unfortunately, I"m afraid that these guests would not be very happy anywhere. We had many satisfied guests in the house over the summer and it's a bummer to end it this way. Lily worked hard to answer all your calls and requests (numerous) everyday you were here. We did get a new washer and dryer, you'll be happy to hear. But saying there was mold is simply not true. Or the the entire place smelled "musty" is rather far-fetched when there are fresh ocean breezes flowing through the house everyday! My vintage mid-century lounge chairs, low to the ground, are delicate and a guest before you tore the canvas on the back which we did not see. But not sure how one could fall out of them this low to the ground? In short, this is our home which we open up in summers to guests, unlike most every other place for rent on WestCliff, which are full-time rental properties. The photos show it exactly as is. Sorry for your disappointment(s).

Map

Nearest Airport

50
Miles

san jose international

Nearest Golf

3
Miles

Pasatiempo

Nearest Beach

0.4
Miles

Mitchell's beach

Car: recommended

The Boardwalk area dates back to the 1800's and is still going strong with one of the oldest roller coasters in the west, as well as many new rides and attractions. Salsa dancing on the weekends, volleyball, and street music add to the eclectic mix of the Santa Cruz wharf and boardwalk.

Additional information about rental rates

Pet Fee

$200
+ Tax

Refundable damage deposit

$1,000

cleaning

$200
+ Tax

Tax Rate

11.0%

Please note that there is an additional guest cottage on the property. It is visible in the photos. Each house has private entrances and the main house faces the ocean. The cottage is upstairs in the back, with ocean views. Both places are also available to rent simultaneously for larger family gatherings! The owner is sometimes on the property.

* Approximate monthly rate. Actual rate will depend on the days of the month you stay.

Owner's Cancellation Policy

Please ask the owner or check their rental agreement when booking the property.

Find vacation rentals on the go

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. "VRBO" and "Vacation Rentals by Owner" are registered trademarks of HomeAway.com, Inc. and cannot be used without permission.